William Joseph Kanapaux, Jr.

William Joseph Kanapaux Jr., 76, of Charleston, South Carolina, husband of Martha Kelly Kanapaux, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, November 3, 2014. Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM, Friday, November 7, 2014, at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 120 Broad St. The Rite of Committal will follow at St. Lawrence Cemetery, 60 Huguenin Ave. The family will receive friends between 6:00 and 8:00 PM Thursday at the James A. McAlister Funeral Home, 1620 Savannah Hwy. The Rosary will be recited at 7:30 PM. Bill was born in Charleston on January 1, 1938, to the late William J. Kanapaux Sr. and Catherine Strickland Kanapaux. He attended Bishop England High School and the College of Charleston, where he met his future wife, Martha. Upon graduation, he learned Korean at the Yale University's Institute of Far Eastern Languages as a member of the U.S. Air Force Security Service. He served a year in South Korea monitoring radio transmissions from the north and completed his service at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. After a stint with IBM in Cleveland, Ohio, he returned to Charleston to work for Avco Corp. and then as a systems analyst at the Medical University of South Carolina. He spent the majority of his career at MUSC as a registrar. Bill faithfully served in the Knights of Columbus as State Secretary, District Deputy, Faithful Navigator of Assembly 1071, and helped found Council 6250, Charleston's first racially integrated council, serving as Grand Knight. For over 29 years, he gave caring counsel to those in need at the Charleston Center of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. He gave 17 years of dedicated service as a member of the board of the Charleston County Department of Social Services. He was also a long-time, active parishioner at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, a past president of the College of Charleston Alumni Association, an avid amateur photographer and a family genealogist with an enduring love for the Lowcountry. In addition to his wife, he is survived by five children: William J. Kanapaux III (Regina Bures), Margaret G. Kanapaux, Theresa M. Kanapaux (Ralf Ingwersen), Kelly P. Kanapaux (Penelope Teague Kanapaux), and Michelle K. Pio (Mick); 10 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren; a sister, Catherine Kanapaux Cathcart; a sister-in-law, Carolyn Kelly Blitch; and numerous nephews, nieces, cousins and loved ones. He is preceded in death by a sister, Mary Kanapaux Williams, and three brothers-in-law: James E. Cathcart, Graydon R. Williams and Edwin L. Blitch III. Pallbearers are his grandsons Christopher Dorsey, Justin Dorsey, Kelly Kanapaux, Jr, Taylor Pio, Noah Ingwersen, Joel Pio and Nicholas Pio. Memorials may be made to a charity of your choice.